DARLING, OCTOBER 25, 1902

APPENDIX F.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 25, 1902.

SIR: In further reply to your letter of September 26, 1902, relating to the allegation by the Hon. Charles Francis Adams that a certain Father Augustine was conveyed as a prisoner from Iloilo, island of Panay, to Banate, a small seaport town on the east coast of Panay to the northeast of Iloilo, I have the honor to inform you that the log book of the U. S. gunboat Paragua contains the following entries:



"Under date of November 23, 1900, 7.45 p. m., Captain Brownell, Twenty-sixth Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, came on board for transportation to Banate.

"8.15 p. m., detachment of Eighteenth Infantry scouts came on board.

"9 p. m., received one military prisoner on board.

"10.50 p. m., got underway and stood out northern entrance for Banate. (From Iloilo.)



"Under date of November 24, 1900, 4.25 a. m., anchored off Banate in 2 1/4 fathoms.

"5.30 a. m., landed soldiers and prisoner.



"Under date of December 6, 1900, 8.30 p. m., embarked 70 soldiers and 2 officers of Twenty-sixth Infantry on board. (At Iloilo.)

"9.30 p. m., unmoored and left river with tug Vicenta and two boats in tow.

"10.30 p. m., stood out northward passage.



"Under date of December 7, 1900, 1.40 a. m., anchored in mouth of Polak River, in 5 fathoms.

" 2 a. m., Vicenta left for Banate with Captain Butts, Eighteenth Infantry.

"7.30 a. m., stood up river, sent detachment of soldiers up branches of river.

"3 p. m., all detachments returned.

"3.40 p. m., anchored in fork of principal stream; sent out expedition to destroy houses and canoes.

"7.05 p. m., all expeditions returned.

"11.50 p. m., crossed bar and entered other branch."



At this time Lieut. A. Althouse, U. S. Navy, was in command of the Paragua, and to the inquiry whether Father Augustine was transported as a prisoner on board the

Paragua from Iloilo to Banate, about December 8, 1900, Lieutenant Althouse replied as follows:

"Transported army prisoner, unknown identity, with army detachment on Paragua Iloilo to Banate about time mentioned."

Ensign A. C. Owen, U. S. Navy, was also attached to the Paragua at the time mentioned, and in reply to the same inquiry, states as follows:

"A certain 'father,' whose name I think was Augustine, was brought aboard the Paragua about 11 o'clock at night dressed in the artilleryman's khaki uniform. He was brought on board by a Captain Butts, of the Eighteenth Infantry, who had captured him. He was left at Banate, before daylight, and it was after that time I heard of the man's personality."

Lieutenant Althouse is now on duty on the South Atlantic Station.

Ensign Owen is on duty on board the Columbia at New York.



Very respectfully,

CHAS. H. DARLING, Acting Secretary.

The SECRETARY OF WAR.